Wednesday, June 03, 2009

English Democrats

It's the last day of campaigning in the fake European election. I had intended to abstain but couldn't bring myself to do it when the postal ballot papers arrived, even for a fake election it seemed wrong not to vote somehow.

So I've looked at all the parties and decided to vote for a party that I least ideologically opposed. So out went the BNP and The Green Party. Next went No2EU and Scargill's bunch of 1970s throwbacks aka the Socialist Labour Party. Next came Libertas, too pro-EU as are the big three, so they were out.I didn't know what any individual member of The Jury Team believed, it's a shambles, so they were out.

I whittled it down to UKIP, the English Democrats and the Christian Party. Sadly I think UKIP now sets the cause of EU withdrawal back and has become just another vehicle to get people on the gravy train, hence their campaign strapline of 'lend us your vote for the European election', implying they are not bothered about Westminster from where withdrawal, if it ever does, will come.

I admire the Christian Party but couldn't bring myself to vote for a religious party. So I ended up voting for the English Democrats. At least they have a full programme and their policy of equality for England isn't based on hatred of another group, as the SNP and Plaid Cymru are on hatred of the English.

But, more importantly they are highly unlikely to win. So I exercised my democratic right, but without helping give somebody a leg up onto the gravy train, at least not directly.

However, come the general election I look forward to voting, and campaigning for, the Libertarian Party.